Niveus
by Polalis
Summary: The brothers Rangas and Zannus Dinn are drawn by fate into the path of the assassin Lauc and the mysterious young lady Eva who seems to be very important to the fate of Midgard...
1. Introduction

The snow is always falling in Lutie, the drifts falling lazily past the windows of houses with warm insides, the constant feeling of holiday cheer making the atmosphere almost not so cold.

Yet, in the snow fields, the drifts aren't lazy. The holiday cheer is only in the village, and out here, it is perilous to live. The blizzards seem constant and the winds buffet the few snow covered trees around, and the cold seems eternal.

How did I come to be here? The snow, the wind, and the feeling of just wanting to sleep… the feeling of being lost. So cold…so numb…and so lacking. Where did Zannus go? Where did…I go?

All of this…just for Eva…for the world…but mostly, for Eva..


	2. The Brothers Dinn

Rangas Dinn stood next to his younger brother, Zannus, in the Izlude weapon shop. Young Zannus was in need of a sword after just completing his test to achieve swordsmanship, and the elder Rangas was there to help. Rangas was a lord knight, the highest rank a person on the path of a swordsman could obtain. Captain of the 4th group of the Alberta Knight Brigade, he was a well known man. Now, it was finally his younger brother's turn to start on the path of the sword, first being just a swordsman, then moving up to knight and then lord knight, as Rangas himself had done.

The line at the weapon shop was moving slowly, as many other new swordsman were there to buy their first proper swords and armor, then possibly of to train or get a bite to eat before heading off to their homes for training. Rangas tapped his foot impatiently and ran his fingers through his shaggy red hair. Zannus showed signs of impatience as well, tugging at his forelocks and shifting about uncomfortably.

So the line moved slowly yet surely, and eventually the two brothers made it to the front of the line and Rangas began to pick out armor for Zannus. Zannus wanted all the things that looked 'coolest', yet Rangas was more collected. He scanned over the weapons, testing power and asking for prices.

"Did you want a one handed sword, or a two handed one?" asked Rangas of Zannus. Rangas himself preferred a two handed sword, but he was more bulky in comparison to Zannus' own lean build.

"I imagine a one handed sword would be best…" said Zannus. Of course Zannus wanted a two handed sword like his brother, or even a battle axe. Yet he kept smart, knowing very well he wouldn't be able to ever wield such weapons like his older brother could.

And so, a strong one handed sword was bought for Zannus, as well as a pair of boots, a set of sturdy chain mail, and a light muffler to be worn over the mail. Rangas instructed Zannus on how to put the things on, yet ended up helping him into most of it anyway. Zannus admired himself in the changing room's mirror, puffing proudly. Rangas too was proud, and clapped the boy on the back.

"Let us celebrate! I'll buy you a meal over in Prontera before we head back to Alberta!" Rangas said, tousling his brothers light blond hair.

Little did they know they wouldn't be heading back to Alberta for a while..


	3. Wind Song

The cloaked figure of the assassin Lauc walked swiftly through the fields, his katars gleaming menacingly under his cloak. Almost silently he struck out with his blades, slaying a sky petit. Glast Heim loomed in front of him in the night fog. Pressing his hands to the wall, he closed his eyes, listening. A quiet song filled the air, light female murmurings to the melody of the wind.

Gathering himself, Lauc opened his eyes and strode into the ruins, not heading into the main abbey, but up one of the ruined walls, to the towers. The singing pulsed through the air, through his ears, through his head. So quiet yet so overpowering, making everything seem so still. The flowers were listening, the grass was listening, the moon was listening. The voice pulsed and flowed, and Lauc walked on.

The voice was loudest near a small tower room, and Lauc pushed through the door, causing the singing to stop abruptly. He shed his cloak and strode in, collapsing to one knee at the side of a woman standing in the moonlight. Her hair was long and violet, and she wore a dress of pure white. Upon Lauc's entry, she moved out of the moonlight coming in from a small window and looked down upon Lauc, stroking the top of his head.

Then, a change came over her, and her eyes glazed slightly, The regality her face had had before sunk away, and was replaced with something innocent yet fearful, then suddenly, to blank. She collapsed into a small stone throne like chair, her hair covering her face as she slumped forward like a doll. Lauc looked up at her, resting his head on her knee.

The woman's hand reached out, slightly trembling, seeming as if it was not her moving it, and rested it on top of Lauc's head. Tears glistened on Lauc's cheek as he grabbed her hand, kissing it.

"Eva…" he murmured into it, stroking his cheek with her hand. "Soon Eva…I promise you.."

* * *

Rangas belched and laughed heartily as he slung his arm around Zannus' shoulder, the two walking out of a restaurant in Prontera. Well, more like one was walking and the other was reeling.

"You should never drink, Rangas! Now we ended up staying at that place for too long and you are too drunk! We will have to stay at an inn.." Zannus said, ringing his hands in despair. He had wanted to be out on the road by now, perhaps already in Payon or past it.

"Oh ho ho Zannush!" Rangas slurred. "Yer a funneh guy! Dat was a good un'!" Rangas laughed a little too loudly, as if Zannus had said the funniest joke in the world.

Zannus looked around nervously. "Keep quiet, you! You don't want to attract any thieves to us or anything…"

"Teeves? Let me at um, I shet dem shtraight.." Rangas slurred drunkenly, swinging his sword around idiotically. Luckily Zannus had dodged and kicked the sword out of Rangas' hand, snatching it and putting it back in the sheath.

"Lets just get you to an inn, you big buffoon.." Zannus said, grabbing Rangas and directing him into the inn. He took some zeny from Rangas' pouch and paid the kind innkeeper and guided Rangas up the stairs, letting him collapse on the nearest bed.

"You'll be sore in the morning." Zannus grumbled, knowing very well Rangas was already passed out asleep and snoring.

* * *

The morning came, and Rangas was indeed very sore. The armor he had been wearing had caused him to be a big ball of pain the next morning. He was in so much pain that Zannus had to help him strip out of his armor and they had to stay at the inn another day, while the innkeeper's wife soothed Rangas' pains with different types of potions and remedies.

The next day Rangas was ultimately better and thanked the lady furiously, leaving a hearty tip in the room for her to discover whilst cleaning. Zannus grumbled crankily. They had been delayed too long. They would've been in or almost to Alberta by now.

As the brothers made their way to the center of town, they noticed the normal frenzy of people. Yet there seemed to be some new murmurings. Rumors were abound about something abnormal. Rangas tapped a wizard on the shoulder to see what the commotion was about.

"Didn't you hear? People have been sayin' somethin' about some weird singin' up near Glast Heim at night…" the wizard said, nudging his companion, a female hunter. "Ain't that right, Mira?"

The huntress nodded. "Yeah. We went up last night to hear for ourselves. Was real eerie." She said, shivering with memory.

"But Glast Heim is a generally eerie place." Zannus said. "I mean, it's the ruins of an old castle. So many people died, there are always ghost sightings there. Even the monsters there are creepy and ghost like."

"Yeah, but this is especially creepy, believe me!" Mira said.

"Go out tonight and hear it for yeselves if you don't believe us." The wizard said.

"Maybe we will." Rangas said, pulling his brother away from the two and heading off to talk to more people.

Zannus sighed. More delays.


End file.
